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Returning to Our True Home
The idea of a multicultural Sangha began with the image of a circle symbolizing a community of both Asian and Euro-American roots, sharing the aspiration to live happily, peacefully, and harmoniously. Each member, whether of Jewish, Vietnamese, European, or American descent, is “seeking their true home,” going beyond the comforts of culture (food, language, customs). That true home is a place of deep dwelling, leading to the second fruit of the four fruits—the fruit of having arrived, having come home—that is, happiness in the present moment.
The Dharma doors of practice emphasize three gradual steps:
- Peaceful abiding: sitting still, without the desire to run away.
- True home: with each breath, each step, returning to our roots.
- Communication and relationship: embracing and accepting ourselves before establishing genuine connection with our brothers and sisters.
When each individual in the Sangha has “arrived and come home,” the Sangha becomes a Dharma instrument: accompanying all cultural elements, helping each person both accept their roots and transform the world—whether in Asia or Europe, in Buddhism or in daily life—by the wisdom of “dwelling happily in the present moment” rather than longing for a future paradise.
The Literary and Disciplinary Canons of the Six Schools